Public asked to help Exmoor National Park as part of Exmoor animal watch scheme
Visitors are being asked to lend a hand to rangers at Exmoor National Park as they build an accurate picture of the numbers of one of its fasting moving residents. If you’ve been for a walk on Exmoor while on one of our North Devon family holidays the chances are that you’ve seen a brown hare. It is most commonly spotted around spring time and Ali Hawkins, Exmoor National Park wildlife conservation officer, said rangers were keen to gather more information in order to know more about the animal as part of a 2015 Wild Watch scheme. Hares are ordinarily found in grassland, moorland and woodland edges. Popular walking sites such as North Hill, Croydon Hill, Molland Moor, Barle Valley and Withypool Common are also good places for spotting hares. They are most visible in early spring, but the National Park Authority would like to know about sightings all year round. The hare is just one of 12 key species the National Park would like to hear about from you, with others including the kestrel, green hairstreak butterfly, hedgehog, kingfisher, and cuckoo. Wild Watch 2015 aims to gain assistance from members of the public who want to get involved in conservation on Exmoor and help them learn about its diverse wildlife. Anyone who wants to take part can pick up a leaflet at visitor centres.
